Wednesday, May 15, 2013

In the dark: Jon Voight has revealed that he only found out about daughter Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy online. They are seen here together in 2001

On Monday Angelina Jolie made a very brave move as she revealed she recently underwent a preventative double mastectomy.
And one person who learned about the surgery on the internet along with the rest of the world was the actress' father Jon Voight.

Keeping quiet: Jon has said he saw the actress just one day before she published her story in the New York Times

Voight, who reconciled with Jolie after a 10 year feud in 2011 praised his 'extraordinary' daughter but was understandably surprised - especially as he had seen Angelina just one day before her announcement in the New York Times.
'My love and admiration for my daughter can't be explained in words,' the actor told the New York Daily News. 'I saw her two days ago with my son Jamie. We all got together for his birthday, with her and Brad [Pitt]. But I didn't know. It wasn't obvious at all.

So proud: Angelina, right, poses with her fiancé Brad Pitt and his mother Jane and father William at the Oscars in 2012; Jane has paid tribute to her daughter-in-law

'I found out [Tuesday] morning. I was as surprised as anyone and deeply moved by the way she’s handled this. She’s a very extraordinary person, the way she examined it and what she shared.'
Angelina made the decision to have the surgery after learning she is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene and had an 87 per cent chance of contracting breast cancer and a 50 per cent risk of getting ovarian cancer.

Motivation: Angelina's mother Marcheline Bertrand was just 56 when she dies of cancer; tests revealed Angelina had the same faulty gene

Family matters: Angelina Jolie did her utmost to keep life as normal as possible for her and partner Brad Pitt's six children

The Salt star continued working throughout three months of procedures and kept them a secret from everyone other than her fiance Brad, who was seen leaving a Hollywood studio on Tuesday, and their six children.
But Jon, 74, says he 'absolutely' respects Angelina's choice to keep her decision from him for that time.
'I completely understand,' he explained. 'I want the focus to be on the inspiration.'
Jon revealed he spoke to Angelina on Tuesday and she talked him through what it all means. 'She just explained to me and educated me on this stuff,' he said.

Supportive: Angelina wrote that her fiance Brad Pitt was with her for 'every minute' of her surgeries

Voight fell out with Jolie in 2002 when he accused her of having ‘serious mental problems’, while Jolie criticised him for having an affair behind her mother’s back.
It was Angelina's fiance Brad who eventually engineered their reconciliation and acted as a go-between.
Speaking in October 2011 Jon claimed he'd had an emotional epiphany and that he began living for his family after everything changed 'in a moment'.
'I suddenly saw things differently and everything shifted. That one moment changed my whole life,' he said. 'It gave me back my daughter and my family. Being reunited with my Angie is very precious to me. I adore my grandchildren, they are my great love. It makes me so emotional and grateful.'